Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Rucho v. Common Cause, a partisan gerrymandering claim against North Carolina's congressional map, and Lamone v. Benisek, a First Amendment retaliation partisan gerrymandering claim against one Maryland state legislative district.  Both cases were before the Court last term and were sent back to the district courts for further proceedings.  As in the past, today the justices continued to search for a justiciably manageable standard for considering partisan gerrymandering claims:

Today was the testimony of expert panelists regarding the confirmation of the Honorable William Barr to become Attorney General of the United States. Republican witnesses offered testimony explaining why Mr. Barr is the right fit at the U.S. Department of Justice. Meanwhile, the Democratic witnesses failed to present any real concerns about Mr. Barr or his past tenure as Attorney General in the early 1990s but rather focused on other, systemic issues they perceive in the laws and justice system. Some of most noteworthy testimony for Republican witnesses included:

Last night, President Trump addressed the nation on the crisis at the southern border by outlining the violence, harm, and security threats that are occurring, and praising the border agents who are risking their lives everyday to keep America safe. As evident by Speaker Pelosi’s and Minority Leader Schumer’s response, the Democrats are continuing to let partisan politics control these issues and are failing to acknowledge the humanitarian and national security crisis that exists, and are refusing to provide support to border patrol agents who protect our nation. The Democrats are the sole cause for the partial government shutdown and are ensuring that there are a lack of resources at the southern border.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed the Obama-era power grab commonly called "net neutrality," returning to the statutory-based regulatory regime in place prior to 2015.  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was viciously attacked for his efforts to restore the rule of law to internet regulation, including receiving death threats to him and his children.  Yet a year later, the internet is still thriving.

Today, Jeff Sessions resigned as Attorney General of the United States, and President Trump announced that Sessions' Chief of Staff, Matthew Whitaker, will be the Acting Attorney General.  Under Attorney General Sessions, the Department of Justice has returned to respecting the rule of law and enforcing and supporting the law as written, instead of pursuing a partisan agenda as it did under President Obama.

Yesterday was Don McGahn's last day as White House Counsel.  After serving President Trump as campaign counsel during his 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. McGahn served as White House Counsel during the pivotal first half of President Trump's current term.  He played a vital role in vetting and recommending attorneys who respect the rule of law to serve as federal judges, including Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.  With Mr. McGahn's advice, President Trump has nominated and the Senate has confirmed two Supreme Court justices, 29 U.S. Courts of Appeals judges, and 53 U.S. District Court judges.  Currently 57 Article III court nominees remain pending before the Senate.